The protein encoded by this gene is a secreted cytokine
that is important for the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. The
receptor of this cytokine is a heterotrimeric protein complex whose
gamma chain is also shared by interleukin 4 (IL4) and interleukin 7
(IL7). The expression of this gene in mature thymocytes is
monoallelic, which represents an unusual regulatory mode for
controlling the precise expression of a single gene. The targeted
disruption of a similar gene in mice leads to ulcerative
colitis-like disease, which suggests an essential role of this gene
in the immune response to antigenic stimuli.
